Tag: Gavin Sawchuk

Report Card: Poor grades all around as Oklahoma loses to Kansas

Oklahoma struggles nearly across the board areas but how did each position group grade out in the loss to Kansas?

Oklahoma took their first loss of the season on Saturday, falling to the [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag] on a rainy and disgusting day in Lawrence. From the first play from scrimmage, it appeared Oklahoma would be in for a fight. And sure enough, that’s precisely what happened.

Oklahoma fell victim to another slow start on both sides of the ball. The Sooners were never able to get their passing game going. Due to the weather conditions, they relied heavily on their offensive line and running backs to generate offense.

The sooners will try and figure things out as they get set to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in what will be the last Bedlam for quite some time.

OU played a rough game on all fronts. Some things were encouraging, but a lot of the performance put forth was not good enough. We broke it down by position group below.

‘Just doing whatever I can for the team’: Jallil Farooq simply wants to help the Oklahoma Sooners win

Jalil Farooq played some running back in the Sooners last game but for him he doesn’t care what position he plays, he just wants to win.

When you look at the stat sheet from the Oklahoma Sooners game against the [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag], you’ll see [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] had three carries for 16 yards. Immediately you don’t think much of it because Farooq is a guy they love to get the ball to on reverses or sweeps.

But dive a little deeper, and it gets more interesting. Those three carries were when he was lined up at running back. Now, Farooq played running back in high school, so he knows the position, but he hasn’t played that position at Oklahoma.

With the loss of [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] the game before, it was interesting Oklahoma would use him that way. Is it because they want to get the ball in his hands, or is it because they still aren’t feeling great about the running backs?

It’s probably a little bit of both. Farooq told reporters he’ll do whatever it takes to win. “Just doing whatever I can for the team,” Farooq said. “It’s actually fun. It feels like high school once again. So just being able to be out there, move around, make plays when I can, enjoying football.”

With the weather not looking great for this weekend, it’ll be interesting if that formation sticks around or if it was just a one-week wonder after the performance [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] put on in the 4th Quarter.

We’ll find that out Saturday at 11:00 a.m.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

5 keys to an Oklahoma Sooners victory over Kansas

Can the Oklahoma Sooners extend their winning streak over Kansas on Saturday? Here are our five keys to the game.

On Saturday, No. 6 Oklahoma (7-0, 4-0) will take on Lance Leipold’s [autotag]Kansas Jayhawks[/autotag] (5-2, 2-2) for the final time as Big 12 foes.

Oklahoma needs to play a much better game on Saturday than they did against the UCF Knights. They looked to be sleepwalking through the game at times and could have been more crisp on offense. The offensive line had its worst game of the season in pass protection, and until the fourth quarter, the Sooners couldn’t expose a lousy run defense.

Defensively, two busted plays defined the day, as both led to UCF touchdowns. Those plays aside, it was an excellent day for an Oklahoma defense that continues to show improvement.

Kansas will present another challenge for this revitalized Oklahoma defense. The Sooners D continues to make opposing offenses look outmatched at times. Aside from the occasional busts in coverages, this unit is much better than the one that Kansas saw in Norman last year when Kansas quarterback Jason Bean threw four touchdowns.

The Jayhawks have two solid running backs, Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw Jr. They are as explosive as teams get and will provide Oklahoma with a challenge.

Ultimately, the Sooners still hold advantages at multiple spots. With their lackluster performance from UCF behind them, the Sooners should come out on fire.

The Jayhawks surely won’t go down without a fight, and Brent Venables will make sure the team knows that.

Kansas hasn’t beaten OU since 1997. The Sooners have won the last 18 matchups between the two sides. But what are the keys to Oklahoma closing out the 100-year series with a win? Here are this week’s keys to the game.

Can the Sooners run game build off their strong finish vs. UCF?

The Oklahoma Sooners put things together on the ground in the fourth quarter against UCF. Can they keep the good times rolling vs. Kansas?

Down six points with just over 11 minutes to play in the game, the Oklahoma Sooners put together arguably their best stretch running the football all season.

After a first down incompletion from [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] rattled off a seven-yard run and then took his next two carries for eight yards a piece to get the offense going. Sawchuk had another solid six-yard run, but it was negated by a penalty that gave the Sooners a first down.

[autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] took over from there with a pair of 13-yard runs to get the Sooners into the red zone. Though it was a pass play from Dillon Gabriel to Drake Stoops that put the Sooners on top 24-23, it was the run game that did the heavy lifting on the go-ahead scoring drive.

That run-heavy touchdown drive opened things up for the Sooners passing offense on their final scoring drive of the game. On the final drive, Major came up with a key first down on 3rd and 1 to keep the drive alive, and Gavin Sawchuk capped it off with a 30-yard touchdown.

The Oklahoma Sooners rushing attack still hasn’t hit its stride this season. They’re struggling with consistency in 2023, but as they have in several games this year, the offensive line and the running backs have come through in the big moments late in the game.

Marcus Major has been steady, if not all that spectacular in his role for the Sooners this season. Gavin Sawchuk showed some of the ability that he put on display in the Cheez-It Bowl last year. And now the Sooners are set to get back their battering ram, Tawee Walker, after he served a suspension for in-house disciplinary reasons.

With inclement weather expected this week, the Oklahoma Sooners will likely lean heavily on the running game to make hay against the Jayhawks defense.

If the fourth quarter against UCF, the Sooners’ run game looked as good as it has all season. Can they build on that with another opportunity to play another defense that struggles to stop the run?

This week, the Sooners get set to face a Kansas Jayhawks team that ranks No. 84 in the nation in rushing yards allowed and allows 4.7 yards per carry. The Jayhawks have also allowed two rushing touchdowns per game and are the worst red zone defense in the country.

There’s a lot of room for improvement, but there are signs from time to time that the run game is on the verge of a breakout. Even if it never does, it’s encouraging that the rushing attack hits its stride when the game is at its most critical junction.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Report Card: Sooners sleepwalk on offense in UCF scare

Oklahoma took on UCF for the first time Saturday. UCF hung tough but the Sooners pulled it out late. Here is this week’s report card.

Saturday’s performance was an aberration for Team 129. The team we saw on Saturday was eerily reminiscent of the team that took the field 13 times last season to not-so-fun results. Yet, they knuckled up and found a way when it mattered most.

If we’re being honest, last year’s team would not have won that game. But despite the miserable team performance, it never felt like they wouldn’t make the necessary plays to win. That is a true testament to the wholesale changes in mentality, effort, talent, and coaching from last year to 2023.

Let’s get to the bottom line here with the dust settled. Oklahoma won, but it might have been the worst they looked on offense all year. It’s time to pass out grades in this week’s report card.

Relive the Oklahoma Sooners thrilling win over UCF with these incredible photos

The Oklahoma Sooners moved to 7-0 with their win over UCF. Relive the Sooner Magic with these incredible images.

The Oklahoma Sooners moved to 7-0 on the season and 4-0 in Big 12 play with their 31-29 win over the UCF Knights.

It wasn’t a dominating performance, but the Sooners did enough to come away with the victory.

There were encouraging performances on both sides of the ball. Dillon Gabriel had a solid game, completing 66% of his passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns. It was another strong day for the Sooners’ Heisman contender.

The ground game found a bit of life in the fourth quarter as [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] helped kickstart the Sooners’ go-ahead scoring drive.

Nic Anderson caught two more touchdown passes to give him eight on the season. He also went over 100 yards receiving for the second time this season to lead the Sooners.

Defensively, [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag] had a big day off the edge. So did [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag]. [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] led the team in tackles again. Despite the unsportsmanlike penalty from [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], the sophomore linebacker was really good.

On a day when a lot of the top-10 teams struggled, the Sooners were able to add another one to the win column.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from the Sooners win over UCF.

 

Gavin Sawchuk bounces back from rocky start, finishes strong

It wasn’t a great start for Gavin Sawchuk but when OU needed him the most, he answered the call.

On the first drive of the game, [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] was in as the starting running back. They tried a direct snap it to him and he fumbled the ball. He recovered the fumble but recovered it for a big loss. The next play, they set up a great little screen pass, but he dropped it on what could have been a big gain.

Not the start Sawchuk wanted. Fast forward to the end of the game.

With around 11 minutes to go in the game, Sawchuk kickstarted the Sooners go-ahead scoring drive with three runs for 23 yards. Then with 3:15 left in the 4th Quarter, the Oklahoma Sooners were up one point and at the [autotag]UCF Knight[/autotag]’s 30-yard line.

Sawchuk’s number was called again. Sawchuk took the handoff, hesitated for a second, burst through the hole, and found the end zone to put the Sooners up eight. It’s the longest run by a Sooner running back all season.

It’s what the team had been missing all season. Sawchuk hadn’t looked like himself up to that point, but for a few seconds, we saw that burst we saw last year in his impressive Cheez-It bowl performance.

He told reporters after the game it was good to get some game reps. “It felt good to just be out there,” Sawchuk said. “Great team win. Hard-fought victory. Anyway, it was just amazing to be out there. Be in that atmosphere and be with the guys.”

Sawchuk finished with 10 carries, 63 yards and one touchdown. The Sooners are going to need him to be big for them the rest of the season. Seems like all season, we’ve said the Sooners have to find that lead guy.

They may have found it.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Five Takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners 31-29 win over the UCF Knights

Oklahoma pulled out a nailbiter as they hung on to beat UCF 31-29 in Norman on Saturday. Here are our five takeaways from the game.

Oklahoma escaped by the skin of its teeth on Saturday as they downed Big 12 newcomer UCF 31-29. It was a game that came down to the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.

Considering how well Oklahoma has looked all season, it was a jarring performance. Especially after the Sooners had a bye week to put the Texas win behind them. Yet, on Saturday, after a relatively solid start, a pair of missed field goals kept the door open for UCF to run through. Before long, Oklahoma was fighting for its life and the right to stay undefeated.

When the dust cleared, the Sooners came out on top. A late surge in the fourth quarter was enough for Brent Venables’ team to get it done.

Here are five takeaways from the Sooners’ win.

Oklahoma Sooners survive, beat the UCF Knights 31-29 to stay unbeaten

It wasn’t pretty but the Oklahoma Sooners remained unbeaten with a 31-29 win over the UCF Knights.

The Oklahoma Sooners hung on to beat the UCF Knights 31-29 in a game that came down to the wire.

The Sooners’ defense started it off with a three-and-out but after a dropped direct snap and dropped pass by [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], the Sooners’ offense also went three and out.

The Sooners’ defense forced another three and out after a 3rd down sack by [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag]. UCF shanked the punt, and the Sooners started their next drive at UCF’s 40-yard line.

The Sooners offense couldn’t get anything going after a first down and [autotag]Zach Schmit[/autotag] missed a 38-yard field goal. While Sooners’ offense has looked out of sync, the defense has looked solid again as they forced another three and out. After another bad punt, the Sooners’ offense started the drive at the UCF 45-yard line.

Oklahoma cashed this time as [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] found [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] for a 29-yard score. The defense forced another three and out and had great field position again. But the offense couldn’t capitalize once again and Schmit once again missed the 43-yard field goal.

The Knights responded with a big run that put the ball first and goal on the Sooners’ one-yard line. Oklahoma’s defense came up big again and forced the Knights into a 4th and goal at the 2, but [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty giving the Knights a first down.  [autotag]John Rhys Plumlee[/autotag] tied it up at seven with his touchdown run.

After an Oklahoma punt, the Knights had a 1st and goal from the six but the Sooners’ defense held and forced a field goal. The Knights took a 10-7 lead late in the second quarter.

The Sooners finally got something going on offense as Gabriel hit Anderson again this time for a 42-yard touchdown pass.

[autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] got caught playing the run instead of the run-pass option, and UCF threw an 86-yard touchdown pass to regain the lead.

Gabriel led a great drive before the half, where Schmit finally cashed in with a field to tie it up at 17 going into halftime.

The Knights outgained the Sooners 232 to 226 in the first half.

The Sooners started with the ball, and Gabriel threw it to [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag], who got hit as he was trying to catch it, which resulted in an interception. The defense forced a three-and-out, but the Knights were already in OU territory and kicked a field goal to take the 20-17 lead.

For a lot of the second half, the Sooners couldn’t get much going on offense.  Their first four drives of the second half ended with an interception and then three straight punts.

UCF added another field goal to make it 23-17 going into the fourth.

With 11:24 to play in the game, the Sooners finally got something going in the run game. Gavin Sawchuk picked up 23 yards on three carries and Marcus Major had two carries for 26 yards to help the Sooners get down the field before Drake Stoops took the screen pass from Gabriel for a touchdown.

With the score 24-23, the defense would get a stop after a huge sack by [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] to force a UCF punt.

The Sooners’ offense would take over and bleed the clock before Sawchuk busted it for a 30-yard touchdown run to put the Sooners up 31-23 late in the 4th Quarter.

UCF marched down the field and scored on a 4th down pass but the Sooners held on the two-point conversion to stay up 31-29.

The Sooners survived to remain unbeaten. The offense gained 442 yards of offense and held UCF to 397 total yards.

Dillon Gabriel had another solid day in the win, throwing for 253 yards and three touchdowns. He completed 66% of his passes and ran for 22 yards. Nic Anderson led the Sooners in receiving with five catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Drake Stoops caught seven passes for 60 yards and the go-ahead score.

On the ground, Marcus Major, who was apparently dealing with a shoulder injury coming into the game, carried the ball 18 times for 80 yards. Gavin Sawchuk, who got the start, rushed 10 times for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Danny Stutsman led the way with 12 total tackles and a forced fumble. Key Lawrence had nine total tackles, including seven solo tackles in the win. Ethan Downs continued his strong 2023 season with six total tackles and a sack. In total, Oklahoma had three sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

Against one of the best run games in the country, the Sooners held the Knights to just 3.6 yards per carry and 149 yards rushing on the day.

It wasn’t a clean win, but the Oklahoma Sooners stayed undefeated. Now they get ready for a pair of road games in Lawrence to face the Kansas Jayhawks and then in Stillwater to face the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

6 Oklahoma Sooners to watch vs. the Iowa State Cyclones

Oklahoma takes on Iowa State for the final time as Big 12 foes. We’re taking a look at 6 Oklahoma Sooners we’ll be watching in week 5.

Oklahoma can improve to 5-0 on Saturday evening and continue to build on their turnaround effort. The Sooners will host their Big 12 foes, the Iowa State Cyclones, one last time this weekend.

Both teams come into the game with wins. The Cyclones showed a little life offensively in their win over Oklahoma State. The Sooners continued to show off their defensive improvement with a stingy win over Cincinnati.

How Oklahoma handles the ever-increasing hype behind its defense and the increased meaning with each passing week, will be fascinating. There’s also the game that looms ahead of them next week. Avoiding looking ahead to Texas will be pivotal.

For Oklahoma to come out on top and avoid being upset at home, they’ll need to play their game from start to finish. Here are six players we believe will be key come Saturday as Oklahoma looks to go 2-0 in Big 12 play.